---
title: Legal
sidebar_label: Legal
slug: /legal
sidebar_position: 9
---

## Disclaimers

**Project Status:** Meshtastic is now at a stage where it offers a _mostly_ stable and reliable functionality, thanks to the dedicated efforts of our development team. While the core aspects of the project are well-established, we are still rapidly evolving and actively adding new features. As we continue to innovate and expand, some features in our current builds are in development, reflecting our commitment to continuous improvement and growth. We appreciate your engagement as we advance further in this exciting journey.

**Safety and Regulations:** Please be aware that the devices related to this project are not manufactured by us and have not been tested by regulatory organizations such as UL or the FCC. Therefore, using these devices should be considered experimental. While we focus on safety in our designs, we advise users to exercise caution to avoid any potential risks.

**Encryption and Security:** Our encryption measures are robust and a significant aspect of our project. However, it's important to recognize the limitations and risks associated with any encryption technology. For further understanding of these aspects, kindly review [encryption](/docs/overview/encryption).

## Legal FAQ

### Q: Do you have plans to commercialize this project

**A:** The Meshtastic project and its ecosystem will always remain open source. However, the core contributors have created a separate company, [Meshtastic Solutions](https://meshtastic.com), to help support and elevate businesses that build on Meshtastic. Meshtastic Solutions offers specialized programs designed for growth and innovation. These include the Backer, Partner, Certified Device and Integration programs as well as consulting services.

All commercial use must comply with the terms of the GPLv3 license and the Meshtastic [trademark guidelines](/docs/legal/licensing-and-trademark.mdx).

### Q: Does this project use patented algorithms?

(Kindly borrowed from the geeks at [ffmpeg](http://ffmpeg.org/legal.html))

We do not know, we are not lawyers so we are not qualified to answer this. Also, we have never read patents to implement any part of this, so even if we were qualified we could not answer it as we do not know what is patented. Furthermore, the sheer number of software patents makes it impossible to read them all, so no one (lawyer or not) could answer such a question with a definite no. We are merely geeks experimenting on a fun and free project.
